Eddie Howe has said that the club needs to grow and not just on the field, but also with its infrastructure as the viability of playing Premier League games at Dean Court cannot have a long term future. The new stadium may not be on the scale of Spurs' or what Chelsea have in mind, but the squeeze to get 12,500 fans into Dean Court has to be addressed and sooner rather than later.
The new stadium has been talked of for a couple of season now though, and the fans need to see something in plan and on the ground. We know it will be in Kings Park if the planning goes through without trouble, but there are issues that need to be solved like traffic and access for fans on foot and by public transport. Eddie Howe and the fans know what we want and what we need, but getting it in place seems to take far longer than any of really want. While the club is in the Premier League, surely this is the time to sort the infrastructure out.
And for those who suggest AFCB could be relegated next season while they are in the middle of building a 20,000 seat stadium, wouldn't you rather see the club trying to progress rather than staying at 12,500 and relegated with a lack of ambition? No one wants the club to spend silly money on a new stadium that makes it financially unstable, but AFCB don't need to break the bank to get what they need.
I do wonder with Eddie Howe speaking out about the need for the new stadium if there is some who are blocking the move, either at the club or at the local council level. It looks like pressure might have to be applied to get to the day when we see the fist shovel go into the ground on the New Dean Court.
In other news, Baily Cargil was on the losing side as Partick Thistle Lost 0-1 (Agg 1-3) to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership play-off.
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| Eddie Howe wants a bigger stadium but how long will he have to wait for it? |
The revenues that could be earned will be beneficial for the club in the long term and while season tickets have been frozen for next season, the gates should be something that contribute to the club's wealth and should not be holding it back when more fans want to come and see Bournemouth play. It is disappointing that having had three years in the top flight that AFCB still haven't enlarged the capacity of the ground, and more people than ever are being deprived of a chance to see Premier League football in the locality.
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| It's been home this millennium but Dean Court has already been out grown by the club. |
Bournemouth do have to think big now as they are in the top 30 clubs in the world in terms of turnover. A 20,000 seat stadium will at least put more weight behind the club's standing, and while it could mean that AFCB have to go a year or two when they don't bring in as many players as they would like to, I don't see that as a major hindrance to AFCB if Howe does not want to make many changes anyway.
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And for those who suggest AFCB could be relegated next season while they are in the middle of building a 20,000 seat stadium, wouldn't you rather see the club trying to progress rather than staying at 12,500 and relegated with a lack of ambition? No one wants the club to spend silly money on a new stadium that makes it financially unstable, but AFCB don't need to break the bank to get what they need.
I do wonder with Eddie Howe speaking out about the need for the new stadium if there is some who are blocking the move, either at the club or at the local council level. It looks like pressure might have to be applied to get to the day when we see the fist shovel go into the ground on the New Dean Court.
In other news, Baily Cargil was on the losing side as Partick Thistle Lost 0-1 (Agg 1-3) to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership play-off.
My view is that if we are relegated inside 5 years and are only mid table championship then we will immediately drop below 10k. That will be half full. If we are lower than that in the championship then gates will be even lower. I'd rather we did a last minute cut price deal with structadene to buy the present stadium when they come running just after planning is approved, double the size of Ted mac stand, fill in the corners and get 16k. That will be enough.
ReplyDeleteI also think that our small stadium gives us some sort of edge of other teams, however small that is. Is it worth giving it up.
Totally disagree..we need a new stadium to compete and show ambition.Probably one day we will get relegated but at least lets have a legacy of at least four Premiership years.
ReplyDeleteMore concernigly we have a Russian owner..and with what is happening with the Chelsea owner and the stories about dirty money
being laundered from Russia...do we really know the background of our owner and what the authorities could do.
Coming back to the stadium I remember the days when we got in over 20,000...in John Bond era...Aston Villa,Brighton.....where would be if Boyer had scored against Brighton when clean through.....
I am surprised that neither Arsenal or Chelsea have made an approach for the manager....does it mean he is not sought after back a top 6 team
I agree with Alan. The last we heard everything was going ahead as planned, consultation exercises were in progress, the club have agreed to fund the build of a new Athletics stadium on an alternative site (somewhere!?) and planning submissions for the new stadium are expected to be placed later this year.
ReplyDeleteA reiteration from the BOD that everything is still on track would be appreciated!
The first thing indication (on a practicle front) would be work starting on the new first team training facilities at Canford..... as the new stadium site in Kings Park is also supposed to encompass the removal of the existing one!
We HAVE to retain the quality we have and we desperately need quality to back up the likes of Ake and Lewis Cook and to show and PROVE to them that the bod DO have the ambition to challenge for trophies and Europe... if not this is the last season we will keep them! l hope that Neil Blake has what it takes to get any prospective targets that Eddie has identified over the line! Eddie KNOWS! It IS time now, for better or for worse... to think BIG! Standing still and continuing to rely on Ediie's ability to 'fire fight' in order to retain our position as a premiership team... is no longer an option!